


Waiting to See You Again

by minamorsart



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: 20 year old ikki, Age Difference, F/M, Kissing, One Shot, Romance, don't think they have a ship name lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-16
Updated: 2018-01-16
Packaged: 2019-03-05 14:22:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13389666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minamorsart/pseuds/minamorsart
Summary: Nine years after the defeat of Kuvira, nine years after Ikki has seen her childhood crush Huan Bei Fong, he suddenly shows up in her life. The feelings she thought she had forgotten were back with a vengeance.





	Waiting to See You Again

Ikki had had a huge crush on Huan Bei Fong for almost ten years. Did he know that? No. Had she seen him since Varrick and Zhu Li's wedding? Also no. But he came up rarely when her parents mentioned the Bei Fong family, and she saw his sculptures featured in the newspaper from time to time. And now he was coming to Republic City.

Of course, he wasn't coming to see her. From what she heard from her father and the radio, Republic City's Arts and Culture Museum would be showcasing his famous work. Huan would actually be in the same country as Ikki. Even more nerve-wracking was the fact that he'd been invited to stay on Air Temple Island.

Ikki tried not to get too excited. After all, it had been nine years since she last saw him. First of all, her memory of him back then may have been greatly exaggerated, and second, he was probably married by now. So two weeks prior to the news of his arrival, 20-year-old Ikki convinced herself that she would greet him as a friend, and that all feelings for him were feelings of the past. He'd only be here for two weeks, she'd be fine.

If only that were the truth.

 

"Ikki, did you clean the kitchen like I asked?"

"Yes, mom!" Ikki ran out of the house to find her mom and Rohan, now 12, sweeping the courtyard. "I'll do that for ya." She accepted the broom from her mom and continued the task. Her mom did tend to get pretty stressed out whenever guests were over.

"Thanks," Pema squeezed a hand on Ikki's shoulder and then suddenly stiffened. "I completely forgot to prepare his room! And they'll be here any minute."

"Don't worry," Ikki tried to comfort her. "I'm sure you still have..." She trailed off as she heard the roar of Oogi and looked up. She saw the top of her father's bald head. And probably riding on the saddle was a certain earthbender.

"Time," Ikki finished quietly.

Oogi landed smoothly, placing all six giant feet onto the stone ground. Tenzin dismounted with ease and accepted Rohan with open arms as the small boy ran to him to give him a hug.

"Welcome back!" Ikki greeted, trying to distract herself and be as cheerful as possible, but she couldn't help but watch a man climb down from the bison from her peripheral vision.

The newspaper photos couldn't do Huan Bei Fong justice. He was more mature than he was nine years ago, and even more handsome. He walked towards the family, a bag over one shoulder and a box in the other hand.

"Huan, I'm sure you remember Pema and my children," Tenzin said, gesturing to his family. "Ikki and Rohan. The other two are currently away."

"It's a pleasure to see you again," Huan bowed to Pema. "Please accept this." He held out the box, which was wrapped in green cloth. "They are delicacies from the Earth Kingdom. Vegetarian," he added. Pema took the box with a smile and a thank you. Then Huan looked at Ikki, and she could see his face in more detail. He was still clean-shaven, with his hair absent of the green dye, barely touching his shoulders and shaved on one side of his head.

"You've grown up," he said quietly. Suddenly, Ikki felt self-conscious. He didn't smile as he regarded her, but he had always been that way. Not knowing how to respond, she just smiled and nodded.

"And the last time I saw you, you were just a baby," Huan continued, turning to Rohan. Rohan looked at his feet shyly.

"Rohan, can you show Huan to his room?" Pema asked. Her son nodded and the two walked towards the men's dormitories. Pema and Tenzin greeted each other with a quick kiss and Ikki hugged her father.

"How are you?" he asked her. Not too great at the moment, Ikki wanted to say.

"Good," she lied quickly.

 

"I forgot, can you bring a pillow and some blankets to Huan's room?"

Ikki swallowed nervously after her mother tasked her. But thankfully Rohan would be there. She knocked on the door and it slid open, now face-to-face with Huan. She looked up at him, almost a foot shorter.

"I, uh... I brought blankets," she said, holding them up. He said nothing, sliding the door all the way to let her into an empty room.

"Where's Rohan?" she asked, now concerned that she'd be alone with this man.

"He already left," Huan replied, leaning on a desk in the corner of the room. "Shy kid, isn't he?"

"Yep," Ikki turned away from him to set the pillow and blankets on his bed. Her face felt hot. Who was she kidding? Her childhood crush had returned with a vengeance.

"I see you got your tattoos."

"Yes, a few years ago." Ikki turned to look at him.

"Congratulations," he said. "Though it's a little late."

"Yeah, just a little," she joked. He was looking her up and down, and it made her wanted to make an air scooter and get out of this room as quickly as possible. Then he walked up to her.

"You don't have those little dumplings on your head anymore," Huan noticed. He tentatively placed a hand on top of her head. Ikki blushed deeper but forced herself to look up at him.

"Well, that was for kids, and I'm not a kid anymore," she said in an almost defiant way. She noticed his breath catch and he quickly removed his hand.

"No, you're not," he said with a nod.

 

Ikki didn't say a word at dinner, but she didn't have to because it was her parents that talked to Huan, and for that she was grateful. She was glad her mother didn't try to make her say anything.

"So, Huan, do you have a girlfriend?" Pema asked. Ikki tried not to look like she was listening carefully.

"No," Huan said, and he looked a little embarrassed. "Work has always come first."

"You don't need feel any pressure," Tenzin comforted him. "It can take time."

"Of course," Pema agreed with a warm smile. "But once you find the right one, you'll know." Tenzin covered her hand with his and they shared a loving look with each other. Ikki looked at them happily and with some envy. She wanted a deep love like they had. Jinora was so lucky, she'd had a boyfriend since she was 14, and now she and Kai were engaged. She glanced over at Huan, who had taken a sudden interest in his food. She felt a little sorry for him, but also confusion as to why he hadn't settled down yet, even if she was glad he hadn't.

 

The next day, she didn't see him at all. When she asked, her parents told her he'd gone to the city to see the layout of the museum. She almost made an excuse to go to the city herself, maybe pretend to run an errand so she could run by and catch a glimpse of him, but decided against it. At the end of the day, however, she regretted it a bit, for he didn't come to dinner. Perhaps he was with visiting with his aunt; of course he would be.

The day after that, Ikki saw him in the garden. In fact, he saw her first.

"Good morning, Ikki," he said. 

"Hi," she said brightly. "The garden is beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yes," he agreed. "What are you doing right now?"

"I was just coming back from teaching an airbending class," she answered. "You?"

"I'm sketching. Wanna see?"

"Sure!" she took a seat next to him on the grass and he handed her his sketchbook. In it were designs of intricate and delicate looking sculptures. "These are amazing."

"Thank you," he said and he looked ahead of him. "Ever since I got here, I've gotten so much inspiration. And not just for my project at the museum, but perhaps for future projects as well. Do you like them?" he asked, watching her as she flipped through the pages.

"Yeah," she said. Then she laughed.

"What is it?"

"I was just remembering when you once tried to teach Meelo and I how to paint," she said. "Meelo had a natural gift for it."  
"Yes, but I liked yours too, though."

She looked at him to see him smiling. He smiled like that back then too, when she had shown him that childish painting, a colorful depiction of her and a few spirits, though she hardly remembered what it looked like.

"You said it hurt your eyes," she said with a grin.

"Did I?" he genuinely looked surprised. "I was... an intense person back then."

Your eyes are definitely intense, Ikki thought. His gaze on her was fierce and fervent, like he wanted to swallow her whole just with his eyes.

"Well, I wish you luck at your showing," she said, interrupting the strange, electric atmosphere. She gave the book back to him. He accepted it wordlessly, looking away. She hurried back to the house. When she was inside and alone in the kitchen, she drank a glass of cold water and put a hand on her thumping chest.

 

The next few days before the showing, Ikki avoided conversation with Huan. When she did see him, they'd exchange a simple, "hello," "good morning," and "good night." How could her stupid feelings from nine years ago be coming back now? And surely he didn't feel the same way about her, there was no way. He probably still thought of her as a girl. Even if he was single now, he must have dated women who were more beautiful and more mature than she was. That thought made her sad. She was twenty now and had never had a boyfriend. Every man who looked at her probably saw her as a child.

She sat in a tree with a ring-tailed lemur and stared at the sunset glumly. She wished Jinora were here, but she wouldn't be back until the opening night of Huan's art show, which was tomorrow. She needed someone to talk to. She didn't need advice, no, she figured advice about dating from anyone would be biased. Also, everyone was different, so how could one piece of advice fit for a specific kind person? Especially someone like Huan? Jinora didn't even know him.

 

Opening night arrived, and so did Jinora and her fiancée, Kai. They walked into the building holding hands, and Ikki regarded them grumpily before turning away.

She looked down at her clothes, traditional airbending robes, and felt very underdressed. Around her, men and women wore fine, expensive clothing and jewelry. She peeked over heads to see Huan talking with a woman. She, too, was dressed very fancily and was very beautiful. Huan looked very handsome in deep green robes and metal plates on his shoulders, dressed like he came straight from Zaofu. They looked to be in deep conversation. Ikki pouted and looked away. Perhaps that was his type.

She tried to distract herself, but each artwork of course would just remind her of him. The sculptures and paintings were all labeled with abstract descriptions. She'd look back and forth from the label to the art and just could not understand it. It looked great, but the meanings were beyond her.

"What do you think of this one?" Huan's voice said by her ear. She turned her head so quickly she nearly got whiplash.

"This one?" she asked, pointing to a metal piece that looked vaguely like two lopsided animals. "Du ri ru nian," she muttered, reading the title aloud. "Each day passes as a year." He nodded, waiting for her interpretation. "Well," she struggled to come up with something. Might as well answer honestly. "I don't know." He smiled and stood close to her, gesturing to the piece and explaining the concept. Instead of paying attention, however, she instead looked at his face. His eyes lit as he enthusiastically spoke and she couldn't help but smile, not bothering to hide her adoration for his passion for art, her adoration for him.

"But really, it's also up for interpretation," he finished. She nodded automatically. Then he looked at her and looked slightly amused. "Have you been avoiding me?"

"Huh? No! Why would you think that?"

"Then why haven't you talked to me since the day in the garden?" He was even closer to her now.

Because I like you, she wanted to say. But I don't think you like me.

"I've just had... a lot on my mind," she said instead. "It's not anything you did."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

He stepped away from her, looking disappointed. "Please, enjoy yourself," he said stiffly, and then he brushed past her and went to speak with newcomers. She watched him leave, shoulders slumped.

The museum closed and Ikki's parents invited Huan and Lin to join the family to go out to eat. They went to an authentic Fire Nation restaurant, the airbenders all ordering non-meat dishes. Ikki watched solemnly as Huan sat on the other side of the table, talking with Lin. Was he angry with her now?

"You're awfully quiet," Jinora commented when they were halfway through their meal. "It's unusual."

"It's nothing," Ikki said. She spared a few seconds to look at Huan. He noticed and they caught eyes before he quickly looked away. Jinora of course noticed.

"What's up?" she asked. "Is he making you uncomfortable or something?"

"No, it's not that at all," Ikki insisted. "Really." Jinora didn't look any less concerned, but was then distracted when Kai tapped her on the shoulder to tell her something.

 

"Really, what's wrong?" Jinora asked. They sat on Ikki's bed. Now that they were alone, Ikki felt she finally say what was on her mind.

"Well," she began. "I like Huan."

"You do?" Jinora sounded shocked. "But isn't he in his mid-thirties?"

"He's thirty-two," Ikki corrected. "And besides, mom and dad are like twenty years apart. You only say that 'cause you and Kai are the same age."

"That's true," Jinora agreed. "So how does he feel?"

"I dunno."

"Why don't you ask him?"

"I know he doesn't like me," Ikki shook her head. "He probably still thinks I'm a kid." She saw Jinora deeply thinking and added, "And don't try and get all preachy on me."

"I wasn't gonna!" Jinora threw her hands up. "All I will say is this: you make all these assumptions but you never know until you actually try. If he likes you, great. If he doesn't like you, great. That means there's someone else out there for you. But you don't know until you try."

 

The day before the last showing, Ikki tried to find him, but he wasn't on the island, and she soon found out from her mother that evening that he was back in the city, at the police station. She flew over on her airbending staff and found him exiting the building. She landed right in front of him, effectively startling him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. His grumpy mood from yesterday had disappeared.

"I'm not avoiding you because of anything you've done, really," she said, looking up at him. "I want you to know that." He relaxed and nodded but didn't answer. "Okay, then." She felt awkward standing there. "I guess I'll see you later." She was about to leave when he put a hand on her arm.

"Ikki," he said. She turned around.

"Yes?"

"Are you hungry?"

 

They went to one of Ikki's favorite places to get streetfood. They ordered noodles and sat at a simple wooden table and ate. Ikki's heart was threatening to burst out of her chest the whole time. At one point her long hair got in the way, so she bunched it together and threw it over one shoulder. She noticed Huan was watching her.

"Do you come here a lot?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered. "It's cheap but it's really good." He continued to look at her, a small smiling growing on his face.

"What is it?" She started to smile too.

"You have a piece of noodle on your lip," he said. She reached up to her mouth and indeed, found said piece if noodle. Flustered, she quickly wiped her mouth with a napkin and looked away. How embarrassing.

"You're very beautiful," he said. She lifted her head in surprise, but he was already back to eating again.

 

"Before we get back, there's something I wanna show you," Huan said. They stopped in front of the art museum.

"But it's closed," Ikki pointed out.

"I know that," he laughed. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard. "But I can get us in." He took out a key and unlocked the door, holding it open for her. She entered and he followed closely behind her 

"It's dark," she said, though that was obvious.

"This way," he said softly. He gently touched her elbow and led her into a room. When he turned on the lights, she saw that it was the room where his pieces were on display.  
She stood in the doorway until he beckoned her to follow him.

"Are you giving me a tour?" she asked, confused.

"No, that's not important," he said as they walked together. "I know art is hard to understand, and I don't expect everyone to understand it. Even if I have shows here in Republic City or the Fire Nation or the Earth Kingdom, I don't do it because I want people to look at it and be able to explain what this detail means, or what concept I was going for." He placed a hand in her back and smiled at her. "I do it because art is important to me, and I want to share it with other people. Back then I wouldn't have wanted to because I thought no one could ever understand, but I'm grateful now for opportunities like this." He paused, before saying, "And even if my main interest is in abstract art, that doesn't stop me from enjoying other works, such as this one."

He walked ahead of her and stopped in front of a painting, but it wasn't just any painting. It was done by a child, featuring a girl, a rainbow, an ostrich-horse, a dragon, and spirits, the entire canvas covered with bright colors. It was nicely framed.

"This is..." Ikki stepped forward. "This is that painting from when I was eleven!" She looked at him, a grin coming on. "You had it this whole time?"

"I did," Huan answered, walking to her. "I'm going to display for the last showing tomorrow. I kept it... after you left. I wasn't sure why."

"I figured it got thrown away."

"I would never have done that." He was now right in front of her. "It was one of my favorite paintings, still is."

"Even if it hurts your eyes?" she asked with a grin. He laughed, bowing his head, then met her eyes again.

"Ikki, did you know that I've never been with anyone before?"

"Really?"

"You sound surprised."

"I am," she said sincerely.

"Really, you shouldn't be," he said. "I don't think my personality has made anyone interested in me, and... I was never interested in anyone."

"And now?"

"Now," he looked at her with those intense eyes again, lifting a hand to stroke her hair. "I think I was just waiting to see you again."

Ikki threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. He kissed her back immediately, wrapping his arms around her waist, holding her close and lifting her off her feet.

It didn’t matter if her image of him from a decade ago was exaggerated or unrealistic. She knew him now and she was pretty sure she was in love with him. And as he reached up to gently caress her face and kiss her over and over again, she had a feeling he felt the same way.

**Author's Note:**

> I remember when I watched the finale of LoK, I found myself really liking the teeny tiny interaction between Ikki and Huan at the wedding. Even though I haven't watched the show in a while, I suddenly got the urge to write a fic about them, watched the only two clips of them on Youtube, and tada!!  
> I wanted to try something different and write a story that was divided up into short sections. I can definitely use some more work though hehe  
> And also the voice of Huan is also the voice of Kovu from Lion King?!?!?! nice ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)


End file.
